Sighting attachment for firearms



July 22, 1958 R. G. zlNssER rSIGHTTNG ATTACHMENT FOR FTREARMS Filed oct. 4. 1955 fm oL/ f A Gz/sm V z/A/ssf@ n l 2,844,710 n lSIGHTING ATTACHMENTFOR y r`Rudolf Gustav Zinsser, l

Union of South Africa Application October 4,1955, Serial No. 538,465

Claimspriority, application Union ofSouth Africa October K7, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 24d-6.41)'

United states Patenti?" pointed. It is the object of this invention to mark by a small spot of light the point at which a firearm is directed at any particular moment.

According to this invention there is provided for attachment to a firearm an optical projector for projecting an image ofa source of light, a source of electricity for the light, a switch therefor, and clamping means for adjusting and fixing the optical axis of the projector to project an image of the light source onto a point on the trajectory of a bullet fired from the firearm.

The invention further provides an adjustable mounting suitable for attachment to a firearm and carrying the projector, the switch and a casing'for an electric battery.

One preferred form of the invention applied toa well known type of six chamber revolver, is illustrated in the "accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows, in side elevation, the revolver with the invention attached.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the mounting for the light source and projecting apparatus on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram. Fig. 4, a representation of thev projected image of the light and its surroundings. v

In the drawings the barrel of the revolver is numbered 1 and to it by a bracket 2 is fastened a tubular optical yprojector 3.

At the back end 4 of the projector 3 is mounted a small `electric lamp bulb 5. The preferred lamp bulb 5 is one f condenser 6 is moulded in the glass bulb 5 and is adapted to pick up the bright point above-mentioned. At the to project the point of light along a narrow beam. The

' condenser 6 is not perfect and picks up the remaining light in the bulb 5 at its circumference. The lens 8,

' therefore picks up not only the bright point of the filament but the remaining light from the condenser and projects it as a bright ring around the central filament as described in connection with Fig. 4.

' Fig. 4 represents a projected image of the light and its surroundings picked up by condenser 6. At.7 is depicted the filament in the lamp. It is surrounded by an area which is relatively dark but the outer space is a bright area often being brightest towards the edge where the light rays are gathered by the condenser 6.

V,same time the lens 8 cooperates with the condenser 6 l 2,844,710 Patented` July 22,V

in a holder 10 and held in place by a threaded stem 1`1 ex` tending rearwardly through a slot 12 in the end cap 13.

'Ihis stem 11 alsoA forms aV connection with the central. rearfcontact ofthe bulb 5. The front end of the lbulb 5 around the condenser 6 is supported in a ring 14 fixed in the projector 3 and the filament 7 of the-lamp bulb 5 is. centrally located on the back focus kof the optical system made up of lenses 6 and-8,. by means of radially placed screws 15 placed at an angle tooneanoth'erl so as to move ring n I4, which may be made of resilient material, to k place thefilament 7 in the proper position relative to the optical axis. The lamp bulb 5 may rotate about the stem 11 and be moved longitudinally in the optical system and therefore the position of the lilarnent 7 in relation to lens 8 can further be adjusted with sufficient precision.

Tube 16 contains a pair of dry batteries 17. One pole of the battery is grounded to the body of the pistol, the'l other pole is connected to the stern 11 which in turn makes electrical contact with one end of the filament 7. The other end of the filament 7 is connected in the usual manner to the socket 9 and therefore to the holder 10. A wire connects the holder 10 to a switch contact 18 on a spring carrier 19 which normally stands insulated from the trigger 20 but in juxtaposition to its finger grip 21. Contact between 18 and the trigger 20 will complete the electric circuit through the iilament 7 to light the same.

Clips 2 and 22 are used to strap the tubular projector 3 and the tube 16 securely to the barrel 1 of the pistol.

At a suitable point such as at Z3 a switch is introduced to break the electric circuit when the light is not required. In use the pistol is held in the normal manner and with the switch 23 in the on position and pressure on carrier 19 closing the electric circuit through contact 18 and trigger 20 a spot of light, actually a projected image of the filament 7 in the electric bulb 5 is projected in the direction in which the revolver is aimed. The projector 3 is fixed and the screws 15 previously adjusted so that the y trajectory of the bullet from the revolver will intersect the light beam at the point on which the image of the light is projected. In this way aiming of the firearm especially in the dark, is made very easy.

The bright point of light indicates where the bullet will strike; the light ring surrounding it helps to locate the point and generally light up the vicinity round the `position aimed at. One sees, therefore, the bright center, dark circle and the bright edges of the condenser as the lens at the end of the bulb is an imperfect condenser for the light and therefore the whole light is projected;

The projector 3 may be modied as to size for use on a pocket pistol and the switch 23 placed at the back of the projector 3 may be operated by the thumb of the user.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A sighting attachment for a firearm having a barrel and a finger trigger, including an elongated tubular assembly supported on the barrel, said assembly including a pair of tubular structures, a tubular cap closing one end ofthe first of said structures, said cap having a dishshaped bottom with a central opening therein, a ring supported inside said one structure adjacent said cap, an elongated electric lamp bulb mounted in the space between said cap and ring, a condensing lens forming the front part of said bulb, said condensing lens being normally disposed within and supported by said ring, a spring disposed between said cap and ring for urging vsaid bulb away from said ring, a lens in the other end of said first tubular structure in line with said condensing lens, an electric battery mounted inthe second of said tubular structures, means of electrical connection between said battery and said lament, including a control switch U mounted on the nger'trigger so that a single movement of the finger of the user of the rearm closes the switch and actuates the trigger,` and means including a screw member protruding through the opening in the cap and engaging said bulb, for adjusting the position of thebulb with respect to the ring.

2. A sighting attachment for a firearm having a barrel,

including an elongated tubular assembly supported on the barrel, said assembly including a pair of tubular structures, an elongated electric light bulb containing afilament mounted in one of said tubular structures at the rear thereof, a condenser constituting an optical projector serving to condense the light rays from the larnent mounted in the front end of the bulb, a lensvrnounted in said one tubular structure at the front end thereof, said lens having a back focus cooperating with the condenser so as to project forwardly the light rays as picked up by the condenser in the form of a long narrow beam, said beam producing an image in the form of a spot from the filament and a circle of the light in the light bulb, an electric battery mounted in the other one of said tubular structures, and means connecting the battery and filament including a switch for determining the illumination of the filament; said condenser being embodied in the light bulb, the projector including a holder for the light bulb, an adjustable support for the forward end of the bulb being supported in said one structure and the lens being fixed in said one structure, said projector lens being iixed with its back focus projecting the image forwardly onto a point on the trajectory constituting the bulls eye desired to be hit by a bullet fired from the lirearm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,207,822 Wappler Dec. 12, 1916 1,551,742 Hise Sept. 1, 1925 1,698,124 De Zeng Jan. 8, 1929 1,858,949 Brown May 17, 1932 2,085,732 Baxter et al. July 6, 1937 2,529,057 Teiault Nov. 7, 1950 2,645,706 Bowland July 14, 1953 2,727,136 Vought Dec. 13, 1955 

